


A Medal For Two

by Talianna_ (Talianna)



Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Eggsy gives Harry a present and receives a promise, Fluff, Hartwin, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Tumblr Prompt, a bit angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 09:32:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6605680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talianna/pseuds/Talianna_
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tumblr prompt: "100 Ways to Say 'I Love You'" - <strong>33. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands."</strong> prompted by <em>221-bakadoll</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	A Medal For Two

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BakaDoll](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BakaDoll/gifts).



**“Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”**

 

Harry drew his eyebrows together in a frown as his arms – arms that he held open for Eggsy to step into – slowly fell to his sides. He watched the young man with confusion etched into his features, but Eggsy’s face remained calm and all but cold.

Harry knew how Eggsy felt about this situation, he knew it when he first told him and Eggsy proceeded to exit the room as fast as he could, yelling and cursing all the while; he knew it when he heard Eggsy’s accusations thrown at Merlin in a voice that broke and screamed betrayal; he knew it in the way Eggsy didn’t quite speak to him anymore but would still make him a cup of tea every morning and hand him his pen when he inevitably forgot it after almost every meeting. Of course Eggsy didn’t need to know that Harry wasn’t quite as forgetful as he seemed to be, he didn’t need to know that Harry longed for the amusing conversations and incidental acts of kindness and the unexpected light touches now that he knew what the days felt like without them.

It was just as unexpected, though, when Eggsy took a step back after Harry leaned in to encase him in his arms, shaking his head slightly and Harry dismissed the stinging sensation in his chest as he cleared his throat and stood a bit straighter.

He knew how Eggsy felt about the situation, but it still hurt to know that he couldn’t even hold him one last time.

Harry was only partly aware of Merlin and Roxy leaving the two of them after saying their farewells – Harry hadn’t been overly close with the new Lancelot before, but they both held Eggsy dear and they bonded over their mutual annoyance and affection for Merlin. Harry knew love when he saw it – and he saw it between her and his oldest friend, no matter how early into their acquaintance it was.

Harry wondered if others could see it in his eyes as well.

Eggsy looked up at him patiently but when Harry didn’t do as he was asked, he rolled his eyes and repeated himself.

“Just close your eyes and hold out your hands, Harry.”

After one last sceptical glance at the younger man, Harry obliged, letting his eyes fall shut behind his glasses and raising his hands in front of his chest. As soon as he closed his eyes, he became hyperaware of his own breathing, the way his chest rose and fell with each inhale and exhale, the rapid beating of his heart, this peculiar awareness of another person standing right there, right in front of him and he waited.

He heard fabric brushing against fabric, something that sounded like a hand sliding into a pocket, then the clicking sound of a container being opened.

Harry’s breathing became slightly more irregular, his mind racing with possibilities and his stupid heart throbbing with the most irrational hope.

When cold metal touched the palm of his hand he didn’t even flinch, and when the feeling of fabric joined it he opened his eyes.

In his hands there was the medal Harry gave Eggsy 18 years ago.

Harry’s eyes flickered up to Eggsy and the confusion only increased.

“Why would you give me your medal?” He inquired, unconsciously closing his hand around it, to protect it, to keep it safe.

“It’s _your_ medal.” Eggsy corrected, his expression not giving anything away as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, chin slightly raised as if he was challenging Harry somehow.

Harry chanced another look at the medal and turned it around, eyes widening as he saw the date of his death engraved into the metal.

“Did you think you was the only one going round here giving them out yeah?” Harry wanted to answer somehow, even though he had no idea what to say or make of this as he let his thumb run across the engravings. “Well you ain’t. But seems as though I’m the only one getting them.”

Harry looked up at that. “What do you mean?”

“First one I got when dad died, which you know since you gave it to me and all, and then, after V-Day…” Eggsy drifted off, his hands falling to his sides and he pushed them into the pockets of his suit, terribly missing the big pockets his hoodies had provided, his eyes falling to Harry’s shirt rather than his eyes. “Merlin said they are made for every Kingsman, buried with them if they ain’t got any family. He gave yours to me… we didn’t have a body to bury you know, since you didn’t die and all… he told me I should have it.”

“Then you _should_ have it, by all means.” Harry held out his hand, urging Eggsy to take the medal but Eggsy just shook his head, his own hands coming up and slowly closing around Harry’s until they were wrapped around the medal.

“No, Harry.” Eggsy shook his head again, eyes flicking up to Harry and there was such intensity and frustration in his gaze that Harry nodded slightly.

“Why not?” He still asked, enjoying the feeling of Eggsy’s hands still wrapped around his own – if he couldn’t wrap his arms around him, he would take as much as Eggsy was willing to give.

“The date on the medal. This is your date of death.”

“I… can’t quite follow.”

Eggsy finally broke and raised his voice, the words escaping his lips like rapid fire. “Harry, you’re leaving for the next six fucking months not even a year after V-Day, not even a year after being fucking _shot._  You’re leaving on a fucking mission that won’t allow you to communicate with m– _with Kingsman_ and that we know is fucking dangerous – we _know_ it, we ain’t speculating, we fucking know it, Harry – you leave without even telling me before you made the decision and I know I ain’t really got any right to decide whether you go or not but let me tell you that you ain’t leaving with the intention of sorting this fucking mess between us out once you come back _again_ , you hear me?”

Harry nodded and Eggsy sighed, his shoulders slumping.

“There ain’t no mess to sort out here. I’m here and I’ll still be here six months from now and I’ll be fucking happy when you come back and you have no unfinished business here, alright? They always get killed when they have unfinished business, makes for shock value or something, I don’t know.” Eggsy shook his head and Harry couldn’t suppress the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips. “You have the date of your death engraved on that fucking medal, yeah, and you better not force Merlin to make you another one, are we clear?” Eggsy’s voice broke at last and Harry’s smile faded and he just wanted to reach out and enclose him in his arms. He suppressed the urge.

“Crystal.”

 Eggsy nodded. “Merlin made it so the number is a secure connection through which you can contact me. Told me to tell you not to use it too much but bugger it, call me whenever, yeah?”

“I will.”

“Good.” Eggsy let his hands fall from Harry’s and stared at the ground between them, hands pushed into his pockets again. “You know I hate you for leaving again, right?” His eyes flickered up minutely and then off to the side..

“I know.”

“You know I want to punch you in the face and knock you out so you’ll stay?”

“I’m aware.”

“You know I want to hug you and not let you go.”

“I’d love you to, Eggsy.”

Eggsy looked up and into the warmest shade of brown as the man he loved opened his arms in invitation. Eggsy stepped into his embrace at last, arms wrapping around Harry and fingers burying in Harry’s suit as he felt the man tighten his grip around him, one hand on his back, the other one tangled in his hair, pressing his face closer.

“You take care of that medal, Harry.” Eggsy whispered against his skin and Harry nodded. Eggsy’s fingers felt almost bruising on his back and Harry somehow hoped he left marks. “And take care of yourself as well.”

“I will.” Harry promised, turning his head slightly so he could press an indiscernible kiss to the crown of Eggsy’s head – their first and possibly last kiss, despite his promise.

“You will not make me accept another medal, Harry.” Eggsy demanded.

“I know.”

“I will fucking miss you, Harry.” Eggsy confessed.

“I’m aware.”

“You’re _aware_ , aren’t you?” Eggsy hissed albeit lacking any venom, his voice a whisper, his words breaths against Harry’s skin and Harry revelled in it. In the feeling of Eggsy in his arms, in the scent of his hair and the beat of his heart. And Harry recognized the anger in his voice and the meaning behind his gift as the admission he wasn’t yet ready to voice. “No “I’ll miss you, too”, no “it’ll be alright, I’ll be back before you know it”, no last words at all? Well, okay, whatever, fuck this-“

“I love you too, Eggsy.” He whispered into his hair and pressed Eggsy even closer, smiling as he heard Eggsy’s sharp inhale and felt the younger man tighten his grip, and Harry’s heart felt much lighter in the knowledge that he truly did not have anything left to sort out.


End file.
